A new species of Eupatoriastrum (Asteraceae: Eupatorieae) from San Andrés Tuxtla, Veracruz, Mexico

2010·1.1 MB·

by  Billie L Turner

354 Phytologia (December2010) 92(3)
A NEW SPECIES OFEUPATORIASTRUM(ASTERACEAE:
EUPATORIEAE) FROM SAN ANDRES TUXTLA, VERACRUZ,
MEXICO
Billie L. Turner
Plant Resources Center
The University ofTexas
Austin, Texas 78712
[email protected]
ABSTRACT
Description of Eupatoriastrum johnbeamanii sp. nov., a
remarkably distinct novelty from Veracruz, Mexico, brings to seven the
number ofspecies found in the genus, well-known for possessing chaff
on the receptacle, presumably a relictual trait in the tribe Eupatorieae.
A photograph ofthe holotype is provided. Phytologia 92(3): 354-357
(December 1, 2010).
KEY WORDS: Asteraceae, Eupatorieae, Eupatoriastrum, Mexico,
Veracruz
Routine identification ofMexican comps has revealed the
following novelty:
EUPATORIASTRUM JOHNBEAMANII
B.L. Turner, sp. nov.
Fig.l
Eupatoriastrum nelsonii Greenm. similis sed differt foliis
longioribus (20-35 cm vs 10-20 cm) penninervatis (vs. 3-5-nervatis ad
basim) lineari-lanceolatis latissimis prope medium (vs. late ovatis
latissimis prope basim).
TYPE: MEXICO. VERACRUZ: Mpio. San Andres Tuxtla,
"Catemaco. Mapa 21.0/57.5, 2 km al E de Lago Catemaco en el camino
al Bastonal," 540 m, 10 May 1972,John H. Beaman 5911 (holotype:
MSC).
Phytologia (December2010) 92(3) 355
m
Suffruticose perennial herbs or shrublets 1.0-2.5 high.
Stems to 1 cm thick, pubescent with short stout, spreading, trichomes,
the vestiture ca 0.5 mm high. Leaves very large (20-35 cm long, 6-10
cm across), alternate, penninervate, linear-lanceolate, widest at or near
the middle, essentially glabrous above and below, except along the
major veins; petioles 1-4 cm long, grading into the blades, the margins
entire below, weakly serrate above. Capitulescence a large (many-
headed), terminal, cymose panicle, the ultimate peduncles 1-3 cm long.
mm mm
Heads broadly campanulate, ca 12 high, 15 across.
mm
Receptacles convex, glabrous, ca 3 across, paleate throughout.
Involucral bracts 6-8 seriate, imbricate, the innermost linear-
lanceolate, scarious, glabrous, the apices rounded, grading into the
mm
palea. Florets numerous (100+); corollas yellow, ca 6 long,
mm mm
glabrous or nearly so; tubes ca 3 long, the lobes ca 0.5 long,
ornate with golden glandular globules. Anther appendages narrowly
mm
triangular, ca 0.5 long. Achenes black, weakly 3-5 sided, sparsely
pubescent, the podia well-developed; pappus ofnumerous bristles 5-6
mm
long.
ADDITIONAL COLLECTIONS: MEXICO. VERACRUZ: Mpio.
W
San Andres Tuxtla, "Mapa 23.0/55.0, lado de Cerro Mastagaga ca.
13 km al N.E. de San Andres Tuxtla," 1200 m, 29 Jan 1972, Beaman
5553 (MSC, 2 sheets).
Other than features ofleafmorphology, as noted in the above
diagnosis, Eupatoriastrum johnbeamanii differs from E. nelsonii in
numerous other characters, including capitulescence (many-headed,
terminal panicles vs. few-headed, axillary cymes), involucres 6-8
seriate (vs 3-5 seriate), and yet other features ofthe capitula.
Eupatoriastrum is a relatively rare genus confined largely to
Mexico. Turner (1997) provided an account ofthe five species known
to him at the time, four ofthese illustrated with full-page figures. An
additional species was subsequently added to the genus (Turner 2008);
the presentnovelty brings the total to seven.
The species is named for my long-time friend and colleague
John Beaman. We both worked at Washington State University under
the tutelage of the late Marion Ownbey at the same time (he for a
356 Phytologia (December2010) 92(3)
masters; me for a doctorate). John went on to obtain his doctorate
under Reed Rollins at Harvard and has become widely known for his
extraordinary botanical studies on Mount Kinabalu, largely working out
ofKEW. I have used his first name in my eponym so as to distinguish
him from his son Reed, who also is widely known for his contributions
to Asian Botany.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am grateful to my colleague Guy Nesom forthe Latin
diagnosis and to my academic son Alan Prather forcalling my attention
to the plants concerned.
LITERATURE CITED:
Turner, B.L. 1997. Eupatoriastrum, in The Comps ofMexico, Vol. 1.
Phytologia Memoirs 93-99.
1 1:
Turner, B.L. 2008. Eupatoriastrumpochutlanum (Asteraceae:
Eupatorieae), a new species from Oaxaca, Mexico. Phytologia 90:
355-356.
Fig. 1. Eupatohastrumjohnbeamanii (holotype: MSC).